1 dead after plane crashes, burns at airport in Novato
NOVATO -- One person was confirmed dead in a fiery airplane crash at Gnoss Field Airport in Novato Saturday afternoon.
The Marin County Sheriff's Office said an Aero Commander 200D airplane crashed into a hangar shortly after takeoff around 3:50 p.m. and caught fire. One person, presumably the pilot, was confirmed to have died in the crash.
The airport was locked down following the crash and a National Transportation Safety Board investigator was dispatched to the scene, the Sheriff's Office said.
The pilot was not immediately identified, but on Tuesday, the coroner division of the sheriff's office confirmed the decedent was identified as 75--year-old Redding resident Jeffrey Buren Khahling.
The NTSB told CBS News Bay Area its investigator was expected to arrive on Sunday morning to document the airplane wreckage which will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
The investigator will gather flight track data, air traffic control recordings, aircraft maintenance records, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and information on the pilot, the NTSB said. Witness statements and any cellphone or surveillance video would also be sought.
The NTSB said it would not speculate on the cause of the crash during the investigation. A preliminary report was expected within 30 days.
